During the pre-election budget last week, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP announced some significant changes that could have a detrimental impact on landlords the UK’s private rental sector (PRS) and residential property owners.

Below are the highlights of the pre-election budget that are of relevance […]

How Landlords Are Affected By 2015 Pre-Election Budget

How Landlords Are Affected By 2015 Pre-Election Budget

During the pre-election budget last week, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP announced some significant changes that could have a detrimental impact on landlords the UK’s private rental sector (PRS) and residential property owners.

Below are the highlights of the pre-election budget that are of relevance to landlords and property owners:

£13 Billion (GBP) sale announced of the mortgages of UKAR – Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley (Mortgage Express) to reduce national debt which followed the bailing out of the banks.

Introduction of 20 new housing zones.

The economy of the North grew faster than the South during 2014.

The UK has the highest rate of employment in its history!
Employment is growing fastest in the North West, Yorkshire having the biggest employment.

Living standards are higher in 2015 than 2010.

Inflation forecast downgraded to 0.2%.

Low interest rates to be “locked in”.

Original target of debt reduction set in 2010 budget has been met.

13 years of rising national debt has now been stopped.

UK achieved the largest and most sustained debt reduction of any major economy according to the IMF.

Government borrowing is falling.

The wealthy are making the biggest contributions to reduce debt.

End of austerity in 2019.

The annual tax return is to be abolished. New digital tax accounts to be created.

The personal tax free allowance has been raised to £10,600 (GBP) and will be raised to £11,000 (GBP) in 2017.

The higher rate tax threshold will rise to £43,300 (GBP) by 2018.

Class 2 national insurance contributions abolished for self-employed.

Stronger measures against tax avoidance and tax evasion.

Review of avoidance of inheritance tax through deeds of variation.

New penalties for tax evasion and those professionals who assist them.

Crime down 20%.

There was some good news contained in the 2015 pre-election budget too:

What Will Happen To The UK Property Market In 2015? Happy New Year to all our readers, and welcome to the usual confusion over what the year ahead will bring for the UK property market.

Property prices are still predicted to rise in 2015, albeit at a much slower pace than in 2014, with […]

UK Property Market Predictions For 2015

What Will Happen To
The UK Property Market In 2015?

Happy New Year to all our readers, and welcome to the usual confusion over what the year ahead will bring for the UK property market.

Property prices are still predicted to rise in 2015, albeit at a much slower pace than in 2014, with economists and property experts providing forecasts ranging from 3% to 5% property price growth.

However, there are a few events that might affect the UK property market in 2015, namely the general election that will be held in May and the growing probability of Bank of England (BoE) raising the base interest rate.

Regarding the general election, it all could depend which party wins or what coalition combination is named to form the Government, after Labour recently confirmed that they would introduce a mansion tax if they come to power. Meaning that the changes to Stamp Duty that were announced in the 2014 Autumn budget would be negated if Labour win.

Less clear is what will happen with Bank of England interest rates. It had been predicted that a small rise, either by a quarter to half of a percent, was going to be introduced before the end of 2014, but that didn’t happen. Then it was going to be early 2015 but that is now also looking very unlikely.

A new survey has discovered that 40% of UK residents would rather choose property investment over all other investment types.

The YouGov survey commissioned by InterTrader found that 40% of UK residents reckon that property investment is the best vehicle for generating a good Return On Investment (ROI).

In addition, over half of UK residents would consider a more active role in managing their own investment opportunities, with 38% of respondents saying they would not trust financial professionals to generate high enough positive returns with their hard earned savings.

The findings of the YouGov survey were published amid the concern that parts of the UK, especially London and the South East, are experiencing a localised and unsustainable property bubble.

New analysis of the UK residential mortgage market by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that the impact of the government’s Help To Buy scheme on the UK property market has been fairly limited.

Property pessimists have tried to claim that the […]

CML Say Help To Buy Is Not Creating Another Property Bubble

Help To Buy Only Accounts For 4% Of Annual Mortgage Approvals

New analysis of the UK residential mortgage market by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that the impact of the government’s Help To Buy scheme on the UK property market has been fairly limited.

Property pessimists have tried to claim that the Help To Buy initiative is responsible for creating another property bubble, however, official figures show that HTB has had little impact on UK property sales.

The Help To Buy scheme accounts for just 1% of all residential mortgages taken out in the six month period to March 2014.

According figures from the CML, only 4% of all UK mortgage approvals between April 2013 and March 2014 were part of the Help To Buy scheme, but 85% of those taking part in the scheme were first-time buyers.

Land Registry Data Show Property Values Not Rising As Fast As Predicted

Data from the Land Registry’s House Price Index (HPI) in March 2014, shows that overall annual UK property values have increased by just 5.6%, taking the average UK property value to £169,124 (GBP).

The monthly change from February to March 2014 […]

Land Registry Data Show Property Values Not Rising As Fast As Predicted

Data from the Land Registry’s House Price Index (HPI) in March 2014, shows that overall annual UK property values have increased by just 5.6%, taking the average UK property value to £169,124 (GBP).

The monthly change from February to March 2014 actually shows a property value decrease of 0.4%, however London saw property values increase by 12.4%, while the Eastern and North East regions experienced their greatest monthly rise, with property values rising by 1.1%.

Wales was the only UK region to experience an annual price drop of 1.6% and was also the only region that showed the most significant monthly price fall with values down 4.2%.

The Help To Buy Scheme Could Be Scaled Back Amid Concerns That The UK Property Market Could Be Heading For Another Property Bubble

George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has said that the Bank of England are being vigilant on UK house price rises and they would intervene if the situation becomes necessary.

[…]

Help-To-Buy Scheme Could Threaten UK Housing Market

The Help To Buy Scheme Could Be Scaled Back Amid Concerns That The UK Property Market Could Be Heading For Another Property Bubble

George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has said that the Bank of England are being vigilant on UK house price rises and they would intervene if the situation becomes necessary.

The Chancellor’s comments come after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned that the booming UK property market could threaten the economic recovery of the country.

Possible action could include reigning back the Government’s Help-To-Buy scheme, which enables people with only a small deposit to take out a mortgage.

In a report the OECD said that “The UK should introduce measures to address the risks of excessive house price inflation, as property values now significantly exceed long-term averages relative to rents and household incomes. Access to the Help to Buy scheme should be tightened, and buyers should be required to put down bigger deposits for mortgages”.

In response to the report, Mr Osborne said: “I’ve said we should be vigilant about the housing market and this Government has given the Bank of England the power and the tools to do what they felt needed to be done to help to contribute to building a resilient economy in an independent way”.

The Help to Buy scheme enables the Government to place a second charge on properties purchased under the scheme, allowing them to have some degree of profitability and allow them a small degree of control over the UK property market.

People buying property worth up to £600,000 (GBP) using a deposit of just 5% may be grateful of the Government’s help but many fail to realise the full implications of the scheme, or spot the Government tactic of controlling properties.

The Government either top up the purchasers 5% deposit with 20% of the property’s value or it will underwrite a portion of the debt allowing lenders to advance purchasers with high loan-to-value mortgages that the Government guarantee.

The £600,000 (GBP) upper limit of the Help-To-Buy scheme has been widely criticised for being too high, however, recent figures show that the average cost of a property bought using the scheme was just £148,000 (GBP).

Concerns are rife that another property bubble may be formed in the UK property market following a continuing run of positive house price trends.

Mortgage lender, Nationwide recently reported that property values had risen by 10.9% during the last 12 months, the first time annual house price inflation has reached double figures since April 2010.

Data from the Land Registry also shows that average property prices in London have already surpassed the previous 2007 peak.

Recent property price increases have caused the typical average cost of residential property in the UK to rise to £262,770 (GBP), according to Zoopla.

New regulations to control borrowing were introduced at the end of April 2014 to ensure prospective property owners are not risking taking on too much debt.

Under the Mortgage Market Review, lenders are required to carry out stringent affordability checks, including making sure borrowers can continue to meet the mortgage repayments if and when interest rates rise.

However, data on the number of mortgage approvals for residential property purchases appear to suggest that the market may be moderating, with the Bank of England reporting a dip in loan approvals for the second consecutive month during March 2014.

There was some good news for property investors looking for capital appreciation this week as it was reported that UK property prices have continued to rise, increasing for the 14th consecutive month in March 2014, the longest run of price growth for nearly 7 years.

Residential property values across […]

2014 UK Property Prices To Increase Further

UK Property Prices Extend Best Run Since 2007

There was some good news for property investors looking for capital appreciation this week as it was reported that UK property prices have continued to rise, increasing for the 14th consecutive month in March 2014, the longest run of price growth for nearly 7 years.

Residential property values across the UK increased by an average of 0.6% in March, with the South West and East Anglia regions recording the largest property price increases of 0.8%, according to data supplied by Hometrack Ltd.

Yorkshire & Humberside and the North West regions registered the smallest gains, with property values increasing by just 0.2% in March 2014.

Even independent surveyors are forecasting property prices to increase by a further 6% this year and are including this information on property condition reports for prospective purchasers.

There could be more good news for UK property investors over the coming months as projections for the rest of 2014 indicate that property prices are set to rise even more, providing the potential of greater Return On Investments (ROI).

Since the UK housing market crash in 2008, UK […]

2014 UK Property Prices To Increase Further

UK Property Prices Continue To Increase

There could be more good news for UK property investors over the coming months as projections for the rest of 2014 indicate that property prices are set to rise even more, providing the potential of greater Return On Investments (ROI).

Since the UK housing market crash in 2008, UK property prices slumped and were depressed for some time afterwards due to uncertainty in the economy, however, the end of 2013 saw the UK property market spring back to life.

The data from Halifax is great news for property owners and shows that the UK property market is well and truly back on its feet. So, if you’re a property investor who is planning on investing in property in 2014, you can expect to see property prices continuing to rise.

2014 started with residential property prices on the increase and more people buying and selling. The introduction of the 2nd phase of the Government’s Help-To-Buy scheme in October 2013 allowed property purchasers to get 95% Loan-To-Value (LTV) mortgages, heralding the return of the first-time buyer to the UK property market.

The recent changes in the dynamics of the UK property market are forcing a number of mortgage lenders and property investment specialists to advise clients how they can better protect themselves.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has claimed that the BoE […]

Interest Rate Rises Could Stall UK Rental Property Market

Interest Rate Rises Could Decimate
UK Rental Property Market

The recent changes in the dynamics of the UK property market are forcing a number of mortgage lenders and property investment specialists to advise clients how they can better protect themselves.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has claimed that the BoE has no immediate plans to increase the base interest rate, currently remaining at the 0.5% record low, however this situation could change within the next twelve months.

The UK property market remains in a fairly delicate state and affordable residential properties are being bought with amazing speed, as the UK economy continues to improve but property prices are predicted to rise considerably over the next few months.

The latest mortgage lending figures released by the Bank of England show that lending secured on residential property increased by £1.7 Billion (GBP) in December 2013, compared to the average monthly increase of £1.1Billion (GBP) observed during the previous six months of the year.

The increase is generally […]

Mortgage Lending Up £1.7 Billion (GBP)

UK Mortgage Lending Up £1.7 Billion (GBP)

The latest mortgage lending figures released by the Bank of England show that lending secured on residential property increased by £1.7 Billion (GBP) in December 2013, compared to the average monthly increase of £1.1Billion (GBP) observed during the previous six months of the year.

The increase is generally being credited to the success of the Government’s Help-To-Buy scheme, with London leading the way on residential property price rises, but what is the real situation affecting the UK?

Director of e.surv chartered surveyors, Richard Sexton, explained: “Mortgage lending in the UK is improving at lightning-speed. Lending has hit a six year high, as banks continue to offer cheap loans and interest rates, and repayments remain low. Mortgage lenders have dramatically increased lending to borrowers with smaller deposits, which has encouraged more first-time buyers to the market. And the government’s Help-To-Buy scheme has given consumers a huge confidence boost, which has increased lending volumes further. But the heart of the market remains in London and the South East. In other areas of the country the recovery is far slower. House prices may be increasing quickly, particularly in the capital, but it’s important not to withdraw Help-To-Buy too soon. In London, buyers need the scheme to get on the ladder. In many other areas, wage growth has been comatose since the economic crash, would-be property buyers simply don’t have enough income to save for a deposit. Building more houses would be a far more prudent approach to capping price rises than trimming down the Help-To-Buy scheme prematurely.”

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